Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has expressed strong confidence that Ghana will defeat Ivory Coast when the two West African rivals meet again on Ghanaian soil in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Queiroz made the declaration after Ghana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in Bouaké in their opening Group C qualifier.
Despite the disappointing result, the Portuguese coach believes the defeat does not settle the rivalry and expects Ghana to respond when the Elephants travel to Ghana for the return encounter.
“When Ivory Coast comes to Ghana, with all due respect, it will be our turn to win,” Queiroz said.
The Black Stars struggled for long periods during Thursday’s encounter, with Ivory Coast controlling much of the first half before Malick Yalcouyé opened the scoring.
Ghana improved after the break but were unable to find an equaliser before Fatawu Issahaku was penalised for a challenge inside the box.
Franck Kessié converted the resulting penalty to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage, leaving Ghana with a difficult task in the closing stages.
The defeat means Ghana must now regroup quickly ahead of the next assignment in the qualifiers.
Queiroz, however, remains confident that his team can turn the situation around when the Elephants arrive in Ghana.
The coach also referred to the historical rivalry between the two countries, suggesting that the current head-to-head balance can change when the teams meet again.
“So the score, as you said now, is 16–15, right? So in a couple of months it will be 16–16. I have no doubt about that, that we are going to win that game,” he added.
His comments come after Ghana entered the qualifier with several key players unavailable, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew.
Queiroz had maintained before the match that Ghana remained a strong side despite the absences and expressed confidence in the players who travelled to Ivory Coast.
The defeat, however, exposed several areas Ghana will need to address before the return fixture.
Ivory Coast were more comfortable in possession during important periods of the match and created problems for the Ghanaian defence, particularly through their attacking play.
Ghana also struggled to create enough clear opportunities in the first half and went into the break without registering a shot on target, according to a post-match report.
The Black Stars showed more attacking intent in the second half, but the two-goal deficit proved too difficult to overcome.
Queiroz has also expressed frustration with the penalty decision and questioned the absence of VAR in African competitions.
Nevertheless, the coach’s latest comments indicate that he does not view the Bouaké defeat as the final word in Ghana’s rivalry with Ivory Coast.
The return fixture will provide Ghana with an opportunity to respond on home soil and attempt to recover the points lost away from home.
Before then, however, the Black Stars must concentrate on their immediate assignment against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The defeat to Ivory Coast has increased the importance of Ghana getting a positive result in its next qualifier.
For Queiroz, confidence remains high despite the difficult opening result.
His message is clear: Ghana have lost the first battle, but he believes the Black Stars will have their opportunity to respond when Ivory Coast come to Ghana.
